Category Archives: Sports

​Arsenal are set to beat Everton to the signing of Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez, reports Marca.

Deportivo and Arsenal reportedly reached an agreement over the transfer of the forward on Wednesday – the Gunners will activate his €20m buyout clause to bring him to the Emirates and the deal could be completed by Friday.

Several clubs have enquired about the attacker this summer, although Everton were the first club to make a concrete offer.
However, the Merseysiders are set to be beaten to Lucas’ signature by Arsenal, who will sign the Spaniard on a three or four-season deal.

Valencia also wanted Lucas as a replacement for Paco Alcacer, who is a target for Barcelona. However, on enquiring, Valencia were told by Deportivo that Lucas was close to an agreement with Arsenal.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner had surgery in February before a back issue ruled him out of the French Open.

“I’m working for the Australian Open,” the Swiss said. “I’m doing well.”

“I never thought I’d have a year like this. I’ve learned a lot from this year,” added Federer, who missed the Rio 2016 Olympics and will be unable to go for a sixth US Open title when the tournament begins on 29 August.

“It’s painful being here in New York, and it was painful during the Olympics because I love competing. But you can’t have it all.

“It was a tough decision to say the least – going out of Rio, the US Open, the [season-ending] World Tour Finals. But in some ways it ended up being a simple decision. Health is my number one thing.”

Federer was speaking at an event in New York to launch the ‘Laver Cup’, a Ryder-Cup style tournament named after Australian legend Rod Laver and set for September 2017 in Prague, with Europe playing the Rest of the World.

​Stoke City want to take Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho on loan, according to the Telegraph.

Sakho has since fallen out of favour with Jurgen Klopp and it is understood that he is free to leave on a temporary basis this summer.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp sent the defender home whilst on tour in the US during the preseason because of disciplinary issues. Sakho also missed the start of the season with a heel injury.
After beating Burton Albion 5-0 in the EFL Cup second round on Tuesday, Klopp seemed to say that Sakho was available.

“I’m happy that I don’t talk in situations like this. Everybody who needs to be informed about this has been informed about this,” he said.

“There are no secrets with the important people, I would say.”

Mark Hughes is hopeful of getting a deal done before next week’s transfer deadline day, with the centre-back having had a turbulent time at Anfield in recent months.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stood firm on his decision to replace Joe Hart, admitting it was ‘impossible’ to keep happy those demanding the keeper stays at Manchester City.

Although Guardiola gave Hart his first start of the season against Steaua Bucharest, with Claudio Bravo on the brink of a £17 million move from Barcelona this represented a farewell for the England keeper.

Joe6 Hart been described by his new manager as a “legend” tonight – but despite hearty support for the ‘keeper from City fans, the Spaniard insists he will make decisions over personnel.

“I know he is a legend for this club. I know part of what the club has become – one of the reasons is Joe. They won the Premier League, the cup. He helped to make this team one step above. I am so happy how the people treat him and love him.

“But I am here to take decisions. I make a lot of mistakes – my decisions as a coach are sometimes good, sometimes bad, but I take decisions. I try to be honest with myself. I was honest with Joe, the club and all the players in the squad. The people must follow me.”

City’s fans chanted for Hart not to be sold, and declared him the club’s number one despite the signing of his replacement being a formality. Bravo was in attendance at the Etihad for the 1-0 second leg win.

​Joe Hart has been speaking after his appearance for Manchester City during their 1-0 win over Steaua Bucharest, telling BT Sport:

“That was a really special night for me. We all know there’s a situation going on, but outside the circus we’re handling it really well. It was a special night for us, and it was also a really nice night for me. This is a special place for me, that’s never been a secret. Tonight was really nice, I really appreciate the people at Manchester City and they appear to appreciate me.

“We’re going to come up with a solution. Tonight I played for Manchester City and I enjoyed every moment of it. It’s a place I’d love to be. But situations occur in football but we’re men and we get on with it.”

Former Liverpool loanee Javier Manquillo is undergoing a medical at Sunderland’s Academy of Light ahead of a move, the club has confirmed

​Sunderland boss David Moyes did not attend his post-match press conference after a 1-0 EFL Cup win over Shrewsbury but assistant boss Paul Bracewell said the club are closing in on Atletico Madrid defender Javier Manquillo.

“The lad [Manquillo] is obviously having his medical at the moment. He came in this afternoon and he’s having his medical as we speak.”

Manquillo spent the 2014/15 season on loan at Liverpool but failed to impress, making just 10 league appearances, and the Merseyside club opted to end the full-back’s two-year stay after just one year.

The right-back enjoyed a better campaign on loan at Marseille in Ligue 1 last season, making 31 league appearances.

Republic of Ireland international, Robbie Keane has announced his retirement from international football.

The 36-year-old will end his 18-year career with the Republic of Ireland in the friendly against Oman on August 31.

Keane made his debut for the Boys in Green in 1998 against the Czech Republic and he has gone on to make a total of 145 appearances for his country, scoring 67 goals.

IN FULL: ROBBIE KEANE STATEMENT

“Today, I am announcing my decision to retire from International football following the upcoming game with Oman on 31st August in the Aviva Stadium. It has been a wonderful journey for me to have played with the Irish national team for over eighteen years since I made my senior international debut back in 1998. I have enjoyed it all.

“It has also been a great honour, for both me and my family, to have been given the opportunity to captain my country for over ten years. As a young boy growing up in Dublin playing football on the street I could never have imagined the path my life would take – it has exceeded my wildest expectations.

“I have been extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to play for and captain my country – it was my ultimate goal all those years ago and it has been, by far, my greatest achievement. I would never have believed all those years ago that I would get the opportunity to play for my country 145 times and to score 67 goals and through it all, I have never stopped chasing the next one!

“I have been on the most incredible journey with the Irish team and fans over the last 18 years and words cannot express how proud I am to be Irish. Each and every time I put on the green jersey it is such an honour.

“I have grown up playing for Ireland & look back at the 17 year old kid making his international debut, taken under the wing of Mick McCarthy & the FAI, and think of the person I am today and realise how playing for Ireland has been such a huge influence in my life.

“My teammates over the years, the backroom staff, managers, FAI and the fans became my second family. I always looked forward to meeting with the team – it became a home away from home no matter what part of the world I was living in.

“I have so many fantastic memories of days with the Irish team and have made so many friends both on and off the pitch over this time. I have been very fortunate to play at major tournaments for Ireland over the years and I will cherish all of those memories but one in particular stands out – the 2002 World Cup and scoring the late goal in Ibaraki, Japan against Oliver Kahn. The atmosphere, the adrenaline & the buzz from the fans that night is something I will always remember.

“I would like to thank all those who have supported me throughout my international career and who helped to make it all possible. There are too many people to thank each personally but a few I must recognise.

“Thanks to my parents and my family for everything they have given me and who have always helped me throughout with their absolute support and advice. I would also like to acknowledge the guidance of my uncle, Noel Byrne, for encouraging me to convert into a striker at Fettercairn and to Larry Fox & Jem Loughran who looked after me so well at Crumlin United.

“Thanks to the coaches and managers I have worked with at all stages of my international career and who helped me develop as a player.

“To Mick McCarthy – thanks for taking a chance and giving me my international debut as a 17 year old and to all the International managers I have played for since then right up to the present day with Martin & Roy and the special backroom staff. “Euro 2016 was a great experience for the team – we can look forward with a lot of confidence.

Republic of Ireland international, Robbie Keane has announced his retirement from international football.

The 36-year-old will end his 18-year career with the Republic of Ireland in the friendly against Oman on August 31.

Keane made his debut for the Boys in Green in 1998 against the Czech Republic and he has gone on to make a total of 145 appearances for his country, scoring 67 goals.

IN FULL: ROBBIE KEANE STATEMENT

“Today, I am announcing my decision to retire from International football following the upcoming game with Oman on 31st August in the Aviva Stadium. It has been a wonderful journey for me to have played with the Irish national team for over eighteen years since I made my senior international debut back in 1998. I have enjoyed it all.

“It has also been a great honour, for both me and my family, to have been given the opportunity to captain my country for over ten years. As a young boy growing up in Dublin playing football on the street I could never have imagined the path my life would take – it has exceeded my wildest expectations.

“I have been extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to play for and captain my country – it was my ultimate goal all those years ago and it has been, by far, my greatest achievement. I would never have believed all those years ago that I would get the opportunity to play for my country 145 times and to score 67 goals and through it all, I have never stopped chasing the next one!

“I have been on the most incredible journey with the Irish team and fans over the last 18 years and words cannot express how proud I am to be Irish. Each and every time I put on the green jersey it is such an honour.

“I have grown up playing for Ireland & look back at the 17 year old kid making his international debut, taken under the wing of Mick McCarthy & the FAI, and think of the person I am today and realise how playing for Ireland has been such a huge influence in my life.

“My teammates over the years, the backroom staff, managers, FAI and the fans became my second family. I always looked forward to meeting with the team – it became a home away from home no matter what part of the world I was living in.

“I have so many fantastic memories of days with the Irish team and have made so many friends both on and off the pitch over this time. I have been very fortunate to play at major tournaments for Ireland over the years and I will cherish all of those memories but one in particular stands out – the 2002 World Cup and scoring the late goal in Ibaraki, Japan against Oliver Kahn. The atmosphere, the adrenaline & the buzz from the fans that night is something I will always remember.

“I would like to thank all those who have supported me throughout my international career and who helped to make it all possible. There are too many people to thank each personally but a few I must recognise.

“Thanks to my parents and my family for everything they have given me and who have always helped me throughout with their absolute support and advice. I would also like to acknowledge the guidance of my uncle, Noel Byrne, for encouraging me to convert into a striker at Fettercairn and to Larry Fox & Jem Loughran who looked after me so well at Crumlin United.

“Thanks to the coaches and managers I have worked with at all stages of my international career and who helped me develop as a player.

“To Mick McCarthy – thanks for taking a chance and giving me my international debut as a 17 year old and to all the International managers I have played for since then right up to the present day with Martin & Roy and the special backroom staff. “Euro 2016 was a great experience for the team – we can look forward with a lot of confidence.

​West Ham have agreed to sign Edimilson Fernandes from FC Sion for a fee of around £5.5m. He’s due for a medical later today.

The 20-year-old is an attacking midfielder and is the cousin of the former Manchester City midfielder Gelson Fernandes. He came through the youth system with the Swiss club and has made 48 first team appearances.

Hammers manager Slaven Bilic last week expressed his desire to sign at least one more midfielder before the close of the summer transfer window, despite having added Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore to his midfield ranks.

​QPR are interested in Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner, and that the 28-year-old is keen on a move back to London.

Nicklas Bendtner left Arsenal for Wolfsburg in the summer of 2014 and made 47 appearances for the Bundesliga club, but disciplinary issues prompted his departure in April after only 13 appearances last season.
Nicklas Bendtner has a record of 29 goals in 72 appearances at international level but has since failed to feature for his country since October 2015.
Bendtner is currently a free agent having most recently been at Wolfsburg.

Bastian Schweinsteiger who has fallen out of favour at Manchester United, has stated he’ll not play for another European club.

The former Bayern Munich man has been linker with a move away from the Old Trafford outfit, after it became clear Mourinho would not use him.

But despite being forced to train with the Under-23s at United, Schweinsteiger has remained professional throughout and has since released a statement addressing where his future lies.

“MUFC will be my last club in Europe,” Schweinsteiger wrote on Twitter. “I respect other clubs, but Manchester United was the only one which could make me leave Bayern Munich.

“I will be ready, if the team needs me. This is all I can say about my current situation.

“I want to thanks the fans for the amazing support over the recent weeks.”

Schweinsteiger’s statement has fuelled speculation he could now be set for a move either to the United States or China in January.

The 32-year-old, who still has two years remaining on his contract after joining United from Bayern Munich last summer, could also opt to see out the remainder of his deal before moving on a free transfer.

​Argentine league side Newell’s Old Boys are confident they will lure Lionel Messi back to the club before he retires.

Lionel Messi was with his hometown club Newell’s until he moved to Barcelona to join the La Masia academy as a 14-year-old.

“I am convinced, like many of my peers, that we can make history as a club if we get the best player in the world in a Newell’s shirt,” the club’s vice president Cristian D’Amico told FourFourTwo.
“I think we’re going to get the pleasure of Messi wearing the shirt.”

Messi would have no shortage of suitors should he decide to leave Spain, but D’Amico feels the player’s return to his homeland would have a huge impact on the country’s economy, which could work in his club’s favour.

“Imagine a game with Messi in the Coloso [the club’s stadium] with the press around the world,” he said.

“The sponsors who would come, that would make a difference economically, apart from the sentimental value, and could make a big difference to clean up the debts.”

​Joe Hart is good enough to adapt to what Pep Guardiola requires from a goalkeeper and save his Manchester City career, says Joe Lewis.

The City manager has turned to his old club to recruit Bravo due to the Chile international’s style of play but Lewis, who was an England squad member beside Hart under Fabio Capello in 2008, believes his former team-mate could be just as effective.

The Aberdeen goalkeeper told Sky Sports News HQ: “When you set the levels he (Hart) has, you’re going to get scrutinised.

“I do feel for him a little bit but knowing Joe and the character he’s got, he’ll bounce back and do really well this season wherever he ends up.

“For the last few years you’ve had to be good with your feet as a goalkeeper and you do what you’re asked by the manager.

“If Joe wasn’t asked to do that so much in the last couple of seasons then he didn’t do it, but I’m sure he’s good enough to adjust to whatever he is asked to do.”